Mardi Gras King Cake Donuts (Printable Version)
Soft, baked donuts topped with sweet glaze and colorful sugars inspired by Mardi Gras flavors and traditions.
# Ingredient List:
→ Dough
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
06 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
07 - 2/3 cup warm milk (110°F)
08 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
09 - 1 large egg
→ Filling
10 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
11 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon
12 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
→ Glaze & Decoration
13 - 1 cup powdered sugar
14 - 2-3 tbsp milk
15 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
16 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar
# How to Make:
01 - Whisk together flour, sugar, yeast, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl until thoroughly combined.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk warm milk, melted butter, and egg until blended. Pour into dry ingredients and mix until soft dough forms.
03 - Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add small amounts of flour if sticky.
04 - Place dough in lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or towel, and let rise in warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
06 - Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl until uniform.
07 - Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut 12 donuts using 3-inch round cutter with 1-inch center cutter, rerolling scraps as needed.
08 - Transfer donuts to prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with softened butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
09 - Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden and set. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, 2 tbsp milk, and vanilla until smooth. Add additional milk if needed for thick, pourable consistency.
11 - Dip tops of warm donuts into glaze, then immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sugars in alternating sections. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Baked instead of fried, so you can eat two without the post-fryer grease remorse
- The cinnamon sugar filling gets all caramelized and bubbly in spots, creating little pockets of heaven
- Decorating with those purple, green, and gold sugars is genuinely satisfying, like edible confetti
02 -
- The dough might seem sticky at first, but adding too much flour while kneading will make the donuts tough instead of tender
- Let the donuts cool for just 10 minutes before glazing, otherwise the glaze will slide right off the warm surface
- Work quickly once you start decorating because that glaze starts setting up fast, and you want the sugars to actually stick
03 -
- For extra fluffy donuts, brush the tops with milk halfway through baking, which creates steam and helps them rise even higher
- Hide the plastic baby underneath the donuts rather than inside them to avoid any choking hazards while still keeping the tradition alive